On Tuesday the minister met with Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Francis Gurry and discussed how Lithuania is implementing international agreements on the protection of intellectual property and copyright.

A study carried out by the WIPO shows that in Lithuanian products related to copyright and intellectual property are more productive than other economic sectors. According to the study, creative industries generate 5.4 percent of the added value in Lithuania's economy. 4.92 percent of people work in creative industries. Nevertheless, according on the Global Innovation Index, Lithuania still has some catching up to do.

Minister Birutis said that based on latest research, creative industry is the most resilient to major economic crises. He questioned whether the government can manage to find political will to acknowledge economic benefits of culture. According to the minister, there are objective indicators presented by the WIPO proving the benefits of culture.